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UPSC Civil Services GK Questions 2026

Static general knowledge is six of the seven lines of the General Studies Paper-I syllabus in the UPSC CSE notice: History of India and the Indian National Movement; Indian and World Geography; Indian Polity and Governance; Economic and Social Development; Environmental Ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change; and General Science. The Commission tests understanding rather than recall, through statements to be judged correct or incorrect, pairs to be matched and assertion-reason items, and it likes the edges of a topic: a lesser-known provision of the Constitution, a river's tributary, a species' conservation status, the mandate of a statutory body. This page holds GK24's topic-wise GK notes for UPSC, written as short facts and tables, in English and Hindi, with each note linked to the current affairs and previous-year questions on the same topic. Start with Polity and Modern History, which carry the most questions, then Geography, the Economy, Environment, Ancient and Medieval culture and Science. Read a note, solve its PYQs, take its quiz, and come back to it in your monthly revision. A candidate who knows these notes and reads the daily current affairs has covered the syllabus the notice prescribes for Paper-I.

UPSC Civil Services GK Questions with Answers

Q4242.SportsMedium

What made Simran's performance in the women's sprint final at the Asian Para Games 2026 especially notable?

  1. A.She equalled the world record in the class
  2. B.She set a new Games Record while winning gold
  3. C.She won the race after a photo finish
  4. D.She won India's first medal of the meet
Show answer
Correct answer: B. She set a new Games Record while winning gold

The achievement recorded for Simran is a gold medal in the Women's 100m T12 won with an outstanding timing that bettered the existing Games Record, which is the best mark set in that event across the editions of the Asian Para Games staged so far.

Q4244.DefenceMedium

Which of the following was named by the IAF as a critical technology area for unmanned and autonomous systems?

  1. A.Resilient navigation
  2. B.Hypersonic glide vehicles
  3. C.Nuclear propulsion for aircraft
  4. D.Satellite launch vehicles
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Resilient navigation

At the outreach the Air Force listed four areas needing focused attention: indigenous propulsion, autonomous software, resilient navigation and standardised interfaces, all of them meant to cut dependence on external sources and strengthen the domestic defence ecosystem.

Q4245.DefenceMedium

Who chaired the Indian Air Force's Industry Outreach Programme on unmanned and autonomous systems held on 21 October 2026?

  1. A.The Chief of Air Staff
  2. B.The Director General (Weapon Systems), Air Headquarters
  3. C.The Defence Secretary
  4. D.The Chairman of the Defence Research and Development Organisation
Show answer
Correct answer: B. The Director General (Weapon Systems), Air Headquarters

Around 100 representatives of drone companies and allied industry partners attended, which the Air Force treated as a measure of its growing engagement with the unmanned ecosystem in the country.

Q4246.DefenceMedium

At which event was the IAF Unmanned and Autonomous Systems Roadmap released?

  1. A.Aero India 2026 at Bengaluru
  2. B.IAF Dronathon 2026 at Pokhran
  3. C.DefExpo 2026 at Gandhinagar
  4. D.Exercise Vayu Shakti at Jaisalmer
Show answer
Correct answer: B. IAF Dronathon 2026 at Pokhran

The roadmap was released there on 14 September 2026, and the Industry Outreach Programme of 21 October 2026 at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi was built on it, with the roadmap booklet distributed to industry partners on that day.

Q4247.Important DaysMedium

At Rashtriya Ekta Diwas 2026, from how many districts once affected by armed Naxalism have artists been drawn for the National School of Drama presentation?

  1. A.96 districts
  2. B.126 districts
  3. C.150 districts
  4. D.212 districts
Show answer
Correct answer: B. 126 districts

The Union Home Secretary said the National School of Drama would present its programme with an array of around 2,000 artists drawn from 126 districts of the country that had at some point witnessed the menace of armed Naxalism, and that these artists would show through their performances what they…

Q4248.Important DaysMedium

The theatrical play to be presented before the Prime Minister at Rashtriya Ekta Diwas 2026 is based on which novel?

  1. A.Durgeshnandini
  2. B.Anandamath
  3. C.Devdas
  4. D.Gora
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Anandamath

The Union Home Secretary said that the play, curated by the National School of Drama and staged before the Prime Minister, takes Anandamath as its theme this year because it is the year of Vande Mataram, and that it rests on the novel's enduring idea that every Indian carries a…

Q4250.DefenceMedium

Onboard which Indian Navy ships was the opening ceremony of SIMBEX-2026 held?

  1. A.INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya
  2. B.INS Nilgiri and INS Kamorta
  3. C.INS Delhi and INS Mumbai
  4. D.INS Shivalik and INS Satpura
Show answer
Correct answer: B. INS Nilgiri and INS Kamorta

The opening ceremony of SIMBEX-2026 took place on 21 October 2026 onboard these two Indian Navy warships at Visakhapatnam, and it was attended by the Chief Staff Officer (Operations) of the Eastern Naval Command, the Fleet Commander of the Republic of Singapore Navy and other senior officers of both navies.

Q4251.DefenceMedium

Under what name was the SIMBEX series first held in 1994?

  1. A.Exercise Sea Dragon
  2. B.Exercise Lion King
  3. C.Exercise Tiger Triumph
  4. D.Exercise Bold Kurukshetra
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Exercise Lion King

The series now known as SIMBEX was first conducted in 1994 under that name, and it has since widened in scope and complexity to become a significant maritime engagement between the Indian Navy and the Republic of Singapore Navy.

Q4253.Summits & ConferencesMedium

India's chemical industry is projected to reach which size by 2030?

  1. A.USD 150 billion
  2. B.USD 300 billion
  3. C.USD 500 billion
  4. D.USD 850 billion
Show answer
Correct answer: B. USD 300 billion

The industry is projected to reach that size by 2030 and to grow to USD 1 trillion by 2040, supported by rising demand, export opportunities, a demographic dividend, relatively low per capita consumption and enabling government initiatives.

Q4254.Summits & ConferencesMedium

What is the theme of the 14th India Chem 2026?

  1. A.Chemicals for a Green Tomorrow
  2. B.Make in India, Make for the World
  3. C.Advantage Bharat: An Emerging Global Chemicals Hub
  4. D.Sustainable Petrochemicals for Viksit Bharat
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Advantage Bharat: An Emerging Global Chemicals Hub

Under this theme the three-day event at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, NESCO, in Mumbai will display the country's industrial capabilities, investment opportunities and emerging technologies, and position India as a global manufacturing and sourcing destination.

Q4256.EnvironmentHard

Which technology, introduced in India through Namami Gange, uses fixed artificial media and plant roots and has operational plants at Bhatpara and Prayagraj?

  1. A.Food Chain Reactor
  2. B.Johkasou
  3. C.Electrocoagulation
  4. D.Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Food Chain Reactor

This technology was brought to India through the programme and improves upon the activated sludge process and the sequential batch reactor by adding fixed artificial media and plant roots, which gives it a smaller footprint, lower power use and nutrient removal.